What you did in the Dark
by watermelon'sPen
Summary: You can move away from what you did, but you are never able to move away from what you are able to do… Strange incidents are taking place in Washington. They seem random but some international information proves otherwise forcing some agents to use skills left behind and rather forgotten. / Sequel to "Through the Streets of London"
1. Chapter 1

_**I finally decided to write a sequel to the "Through the Streets of London". I couldn't stay away from my hobby, finally! Heheee! However I can't promise when the updates are going to come.**_

_**The story is connected to my previous one but it can stand alone as well. I keep my Gloria character in my stories, so anyone new around should have a read through my other story for the character's introduction. **_

_**This time I will not stick with Hotch's point of view.**_

_**I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS.**_

_**I DO OWN MY IMAGINATION AND MY CHARACTER.**_

_**The title is derived from the song "What you did in the dark" by The Fallout Boy. (I DON'T OWN IT!)**_

_**The story moves to US and the whole team will be involved but it starts just like the previous, with a discussion between Hotch and Rossi… Enjoy!**_

_**Watermelon's Pen 8-)**_

**WHAT YOU DID IN THE DARK**

**You can move away of what you did, but you are never able to move away of what you are able to do…**

**Strange incidents are taking place in Washington. They seem random but some international information proves otherwise forcing some agents to use skills left behind and rather forgotten…**

**Chapter I**

**Late May 2013**

"**If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.****" ~ ****George Bernard Shaw**

"You are still here?", Rossi's surprised voice came from the slightly open door of Hotch's office dragging his attention away from the folders he was reading.

It was getting late but Hotch was still in the BAU, thing that was getting too rare those days and Rossi noticed it. Hotch had the best reason to go home always on time. Emily had come back to US for almost one month and a half. Their family and their extended BAU family were complete again. They had their friend around and Hotch had the woman that he loved beside him. This had caused a great shift in everyone's mood. It even made easier to overcome the tragic events that had taken place, like Reid's girlfriend's loss. It had happened while Emily was still away but at least now he had her, too, around to help him. The poor kid couldn't catch a break. Hotch, like the others, hoped that the young genius was able to move on but he could understand from experience that he was going to need time. During that late evening Hotch had other things to bother him, though…

"What's keeping you here, Aaron and you aren't with your beautiful woman and son at home?", David carried on entering the office.

"I just had to have a look through these files.", he answered leaning back to his chair as Rossi took a seat opposite him.

"New case?"

"Not exactly. Just from some recent incidents in the area.", Hotch clarified.

"Oh right. Erin said that the Director is concerned about the increase of the crime rate in DC."

"It seems like you are more informed than me.", Hotch eyed his friend.

Since Christmas, he hadn't figured out what was going on with Rossi and Strauss. He was sure that his friend's tendencies to play around had given some ideas to Strauss but Hotch still didn't know what had actually happened. Only those last days he had noticed some tension between these two and Hotch didn't need to be a profiler to suspect that this tension had to do with another person's arrival along with Emily's…

"I talk to people.", Rossi smiled deciding to ignore Aaron, "Did you find anything suspicious?"

"Not really. They look like random events."

"And probably they are. The Senator is just driving the superiors crazy because her plan to fight crime doesn't succeed."

"It is a possibility."

"So how is it going at home?", Rossi winked.

"Well, adapting.", Hotch replied neutrally.

Rossi observed him in an investigative way. It wasn't difficult for him to see that there were some problems that bothered his younger friend and Hotch wondered for one more time how had come for him to be known as the hardest to read around and at the same time to be so transparent to his old mentor. The truth was that nothing comes easily and, indeed, there were some things that weren't going too smoothly at home. Nothing had to do with him and Emily. Everything was beyond fine as it concerned their actual relationship. They were getting along like they had been together for a lifetime. The problems had to do with the job. Emily was trying to adjust again to a new position and for some reason she was facing pressures. It seemed like she had thought that it would be easier but there were some difficulties in the way and for some other reason she wasn't discussing them with him.

"You loved each other for years, Aaron. You can face the world.", Rossi smiled knowingly.

Hotch's lips turned upwards generously. Yeah, he was sure of that.

"How is it going with your 'friend'?", he asked to change the subject.

"She's adjusting, too. She has some difficulties to share things. To tell the truth she always reminds me of someone…", Rossi eyed him with meaning.

Being sincere Rossi should admit that Gloria's resemblance to his old mentee was one of the things that made her catch his attention in the first place. Even if she was more talkative than Hotch, to an experienced profiler and a man that knew a thing or two about women it was clear that she was hiding hard matters, she just wasn't doing it in silence. Her latest confessions only had assured him.

"You have your way to make her sharing to you easy.", Hotch replied rising his eyebrow teasingly, ignoring Dave's subtext.

"I don't hug men but my hug can be really helpful, you know.", Rossi joked proudly, a warm smile on his face and a cute picture in his head.

"The mental image of whatever you are doing with a female version of me is something that I don't really need right now, Dave.", Hotch laughed. For sure he didn't, he thought!

"Yeah! You shouldn't!", Rossi laughed, even if the picture in his own mind wasn't like the one in Hotch's, but after his face turned skeptical, "Aaron, the girl is too young for me."

David was a ladies' man but he was a little bit traditional in some ways. Being almost twenty five years older than a woman wasn't something that could leave him unconcerned, even more when he knew that it wouldn't be just a fling or an adventure and seven years ago it was different, much different…

"Dave, she isn't a girl. She is a woman that has faced some quite tough issues and she is bonding with you.", Hotch stated.

"And what if I am just the only one available for her to lean on at this time?", Dave answered thoughtfully, managing to share his worry.

Hotch was for short surprised. He had never seen his friend questioning himself when it came to a woman. The few times that Hotch had seen them around each other, since she and Emily came from England, he could say that Gloria was very comfortable around David and leaning to him enough for Morgan to increase quite noticeably his teasing about Rossi still having his way with the ladies. All of the team, Hotch included, didn't know exactly what was going on and they didn't even know what had happened between these two, years ago, as well. But this concern from Dave's part, from whatever else it was derived, could have meant another thing. Hotch's friend had some seriously deep feelings running for the woman…

"She is talking to you when she isn't used to. This signifies something.", Hotch said, his mind going to his story with Emily.

How many times had he wished he had noticed the signs in her behavior before she had left for London? However, he was happy now even with the recent problems. Thanks to the universe they had made it. But they could have gained more time together and made less mistakes…

"What's going on Aaron? Emily does really good to you!", Rossi laughed, "I am normally the one giving this type of quotes.", avoiding to continue with the topic.

Aaron didn't need to know the rest of the story that puzzled him. David wasn't the type to be too cryptic with these stories but with that one he was feeling weirdly and there was something that he didn't want to admit even to himself.

Hotch smiled. Emily's mention distracted him from trying to discover something about his friend's mysterious ways.

"She does.", he admitted.

"So go home and stop bothering about normal stuff happening in the streets.", Rossi said, rising from the chair, "Good night, Aaron.", he added exiting the office.

"Good night, Dave."

Hotch followed his friend's advice. When he arrived at his house, Jack was already in bed and Emily was waiting for him to eat together. The discussion over the food was about regular stuff and Jack's day at school. Jack had been really used to have Emily around. She had the motherhood in her too naturally and the boy really loved her. Hotch had missed that family feeling too much and during this last time he had it again in his home, like many-many years ago and even better he dared to admit. Emily understood not only what he was facing but also that he loved what he was doing. Deep down he knew that she would never have Haley's reactions to the rough schedule of his job. She had a tough one, as well, fortunately without the same weird hours and this maybe could make things easier in case of extending the family, a matter that Hotch loved to think about, but he wasn't planning on raising the subject too soon. She needed her time.

That night, however, Emily seemed more stressed than normally and was checking her phone frequently.

"Sweetheart, what's going on?", Hotch asked finally touching her hand.

"Something has come up at work, Aaron. Don't worry.", she said simply avoiding his gaze.

"I have understood that for some days.", he spoke calmly, "Emily, you should take it easy."

"Look who is speaking.", she replied back abruptly standing up to put the dishes in the dishwasher.

"Emily…", Hotch said taken aback by her harsh reply, standing beside her.

"I'm sorry", she continued rubbing her forehead.

What was going on wasn't his fault and she burst her stress to him. What was really going on was too serious and maybe it needed to take actions that she didn't even want to think about. She had come back to finally have a normal life. 'They' had come to US for that reason and if what she feared was real, this couldn't happen. She hugged him looking for that magical power, that he had, to offer her safety, even if she knew that, if he was aware of what she might need to do, he wasn't going to take it with no trouble.

"I love you, Aaron.", she whispered.

It was a very common quote between them, but Emily at that moment needed him to hear it again.

Hotch returned the hug concerned, landing his lips on the top of her head, wishing that whatever was bothering her wouldn't last.

"Em, talk to me.", he murmured.

"You will be the first to know, believe me.", she answered quietly, "But let's go to bed for now.", she gave him a short smile and a kiss on the lips.

It was almost four o'clock in the morning when Emily's phone on her nightstand rang, wakening her up. Emily untangled herself from Aaron's arms, who woke up, too. She sat up, leaning to the headboard of the bed, feeling his eyes observing her.

"Yeah.", she said to the caller, "Are you sure, finally?", she carried on not giving time to the person on the other end to greet her back.

The voice that came from the device was known to Hotch who was able to hear, too.

"I am not. But he is.", Gloria answered over the phone.

"**If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then unto me.****" ~ ****William Shakespeare**

_**First chapter and first spoiler maybe you already guess it from the description: The files that Hotch was reading and Emily's problems are connected.**_

_**What's the case? What will Emily have to do? What will Hotch's reaction be? How will they try to avoid it? Will they achieve it? And what's going on with Rossi? These are some of the things that we will discover in this fic… **_

_**Leave a word and maybe the update will come sooner! :D**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Some time since the first chapter, eh? Sorry, my life got complicated!  
**_

**Chapter II**

"**In this world it rains on the Just and the Unjust alike, but the Unjust have the Just's umbrellas." ~ Lynne Alpern**

"Are you with him now?", Emily continued on the phone clearly stressed rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yep.", Gloria was heard saying.

"Can Clyde come with you?", she asked, not sure if it was a good idea, though.

Hotch was listening carefully. Clyde? Was Gloria with Clyde? Where? What the hell was going on?

"No. Fortunately or not.", the other woman answered and Aaron was picturing her throwing a death glare to the man in front of her.

"OK. We'll keep in touch anyway.", Emily said.

"I have the files with me. I think we can take off the moment I get to Luton. Crossing the Atlantic in two days… I could have easily become a stewardess!", Gloria joked.

Luton? Atlantic? Gloria was in London with Clyde. With so many miles and Clyde involved, Hotch was getting the idea that whatever was going on wasn't for good, at all…

"Just come back here as soon as you can.", Emily replied sternly ignoring her friend's attempt to lighten the mood.

She knew that Gloria had good intentions but at that moment there was no way to make the facts easier.

"Em, relax.", the younger agent spoke smoothly.

"Are you relaxed with all this?", Emily spat back accusingly.

"No but, for God's sake, learn first if it's a spoon of water or the ocean before you decide to get drown in it!", Gloria replied unnerved. "And from what I see here nothing is clear."

"Is it not clear or is it you that you don't want to see it clearly?", Emily asked sternly, only thinking at that point that she had a subordinate of hers with a huge luggage dealing with high rated people and the man that almost got her killed, so she couldn't be 100% impartial.

"If you didn't think that I am that objective, I shouldn't be the damn liaison.", her friend replied dangerously calmly.

Hotch knew that tone. Gloria wasn't the type of person to defend herself. She always just stated facts. Emily under different conditions wouldn't have questioned her like that, but if only one thing was clear was the fact that Emily wasn't herself.

Emily had regretted the words the moment they had left her mouth. It was her that sent Gloria there to play the politically correct liaison and all this wasn't in her new job description. But she could do it, no question. At the end of the day, spies can be perfect in dealing with diplomacy and politics and so on, if they want. Gloria was the only one in the whole office with all the experience to read through the lines and see what the case was, if there was one to start with and Emily trusted her completely.

"Ria, can you just follow what I said and fly back without the chitchatting part?", Emily replied feeling guilty but her tone didn't reveal that to the other woman.

"Yes, Ma'am.", Gloria replied and hang up.

Emily threw the phone on the nightstand and tried to get up but Hotch grabbed her hand.

"Emily, I've asked you before. What's going on?", he asked concerned.

"I have to set up a meeting with your Director and Strauss. You have to be there but I will tell you the moment I finish with the calls."

"So about the issue, you, you are sure.", Aaron answered letting her hand.

"Sure or not, since they have proof that something is possibly going on we have to act, at least take precautions.", she replied professionally getting up and heading to the study of the house.

**Same time, London, UK**

At the other side of the Atlantic, Gloria was sitting opposite Clyde at the office of a hotel suite, dropping her phone in front of her, a skeptical look on her face. Clyde had been watching her while she was talking to Emily on the phone quite intensely and this was unnerving her. The guy had something in his head.

"Trust is gained, you know.", Clyde said to her in his 'I know it all' tone.

"Trust is proved, that's what I know.", Gloria answered throwing him another death glare. Was this guy talking about trust? Was he for real?

"She is getting stressed too much, that's not good. Emily wasn't like that.", he changed the subject.

"You are judging people. You weren't like that.", she raised her eyebrows, grabbing her phone to throw it in her bag and put the files in order in it.

There was no reason for Gloria to play the politically perfect with Clyde. She had enough with the rest, but with him, there was no reason to bother. He was her team leader and her boss for three long operations. He knew her and she knew his faults. She had one on her back.

"Gloria, there's something else I want to tell you.", Clyde started making her look back at him.

"Easter, I have an over-Atlantic flight ahead of me and I don't think that's related to the cases.", she cut him off.

"It's related to the job.", he continued strictly, "Not many around here liked Emily's ways of moving around offices and dealing with some issues."

"'Offices'? She stayed here the proper time and then she moved somewhere else. And 'issues'?", she asked in an indifferent tone, even if she was quite intrigued and she had a pretty clear idea in her head that she was one of the 'issues'.

"She is walking on fragile glass.", Clyde continued, ignoring her. He was going to finish what he was planning to say and not let her habits of playing the smart-ass get in the way. She couldn't imagine where all this was going. "And things don't look good for her, if this case doesn't end well…"

"This case that we don't know if it exists, you mean.", Gloria said starting to get tense. This should better be a joke…

"It does exist to me and some others. Gloria, I am just letting you know, as a friend of hers as I am."

Gloria shook her head ironically.

"You are saying to me that Emily's place is on the line for what? Do you have a serious damn reason for that? Because what you just said was bullshit.", she tried to control her temper.

"And I know, also, that you are not the best person to tell you, but I have to.", he kept on, still ignoring her.

"Sure I am not the best person, because I've seen this before…", Gloria murmured angrily.

This couldn't be happening again, with her involved again… But this with Emily was different from back then… Gloria was thinking that there was nothing to worry about, as she got up from her chair, not wanting to carry on with the matter. Emily had an unquestionable career with no black spots and she had connections. Moreover, nobody had made apparent moves to move ahead of her and the 'people' above hadn't chosen anybody to move them ahead of her, as far as she knew herself, of course.

"No. Because…", Clyde tried to continue in the same tone still siting down.

"Because what, Clyde? Because I am one of the fucking 'issues'?", Gloria snapped, she was already unnerved with him chatting political games with her and implying that she was a reason to a game about to be played. "What's their damn problem? That, after I spent 15 years underground in one way or another, she helped me to a normal office position, trying to be useful behind a desk, because in the field I am too much of a problem because of you? What do they want me? Fired? Dead? What, for God's sake?"

"Bloody hell! More than that normal position, Gloria!", he exclaimed.

"What?!", she got clearly confused.

"You are the wrong person because you are the one that they want above her!"

"Clyde, are you out of your freaking mind?", she was shocked.

"When Emily promoted you, what you've done for this job surfaced again, you got attention. You are vital in this force, Gloria, and you stayed beneath the surface for too long while you are incredibly efficient. That's a truth and these above can see now.", Clyde admitted.

"I have a hell of a luggage that can't show good.", she said looking at him with meaning and disbelief.

It had been known that she had a relationship with her boss. This wasn't impressible at all… Clyde knew it perfectly and personally.

"Nobody remembers rumors and stories. Nothing was proved and he is… not here.", he replied. "With Emily sending you here, you even proved that, despite your notorious political skills, you can make it. I asked around. People are impressed, Gloria, honestly and they think that Emily is holding you back, while she moves around her first year back in Interpol."

Gloria sat down. This was too much. She had made her mind many years ago that she was never going to move up the ladder. Some other 'people' tried to be sure of that. They didn't achieve it due to other reasons, not because they didn't want to, but after she just didn't care. She was doing her job because that was the right thing to do, she was meant for it, as Hotch had told her before. Did she have actually a potential? Did she actually want it? But now? And like this? If Emily hadn't tried to help her, if she had still been dealing with low-rate cases and getting ignored about a stupid cold surveillance car in the London office, nobody would have even remembered that she was still alive, let alone what she had done. That was unfair from every aspect for her and for Emily.

"I can't believe it, Easter."

"You will when they contact you. You did a lot for this job, you'll want something back. That's normal. But I have to warn you. If you move against Emily, I am the only one that can make it all go down, even if I don't want to.", he continued in dangerous tone.

Gloria turned to him surprised. The drugs. He was the only one with proof that for whatever reason she slipped down there. He covered up the hospital tests at the time of her injury, due to his guilt. And now he was using it for leverage... That man just used people like cards. He had his 'human' moments, but at the end of the day he used whatever useful and needed. That was no news to Gloria. She wasn't surprised with Clyde's declaration that he would keep Emily's position safe. She was surprised that he was actually considering the possibility of her playing any game against Emily. She had thought that he knew her better than that. She was offended but she wasn't planning on clearing up her place. He wasn't worth.

"Thank you for enlightening me.", she replied sternly.

She got up and left with no other words told, leaving Clyde in his thoughts. He was thinking that if he had pushed her, himself, to move up, if he was the one to make those people see, they wouldn't have come to this situation. 'People' accused Emily of holding her back, while they should have accused him... In any way, he knew that Gloria wasn't that type of person. However, he knew something else, too, something that could bring the trust between the two women down hard. Apparently, Gloria had moved pass that, she had decided that it wasn't Emily's fault, it was no one's fault, but fate's. But he couldn't be sure that no circumstances could make it surface again and, ironically, there were some details in these files that could trigger memories…

Gloria was driving to the airport nervously, while the London rain was falling heavily on the windshield of the car. She was wondering how much of all that Emily knew. She knew some, obviously, that's why the extra stress. But she didn't know it all and probably she didn't need to...

"**Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.****" ~ ****Roger Miller**

_**Some Clyde in this chapter! And some enlightening about Emily's weird behavior.**_

_**Two spoilers since it took me sooo long to update: 1. There will be much of a tension between my two favorite women of my stories. 2. The case is coming in the next chapter with all the team and Strauss. (For me she is still alive, for the time being at least...)**_

_**Leave a comment to ensure me that you still remember the story! ;)  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

"**Remember that stress doesn't come from what's going on in your life. It comes from your thoughts about what's going on in your life.****" ~ ****Andrew Bernstein**

The next morning in Quantico was rather busy. Emily had a meeting with the Director that advised that the best they could was to have the BAU evaluate the situation with Strauss supervising and representing him. So another meeting was set up with the team and Strauss.

"So it's not a serial killer case.", Morgan said looking quickly through the file in front of him.

"The possibilities of a serial killer acting internationally are quite slim.", Reid commented.

"Not that we haven't seen that as well.", JJ popped into the conversation referring to Silvano's case some months ago.

"I can't see any obvious connection here...", Blake mentioned reading the file.

"Hello, my super heroes!", Garcia greeted them entering the room carrying a laptop.

"What happened to the paperless office, baby girl?", Morgan teased showing her the old-fashioned file in front of him.

"No time! Interpol is feeding me with information like crazy!", Penelope replied scrawling down the screen in front of her.

"No problem with the paper.", Reid murmured scanning the pages.

"It's meditative, isn't it?", JJ joked, looking at the younger agent with sympathy. In the meeting room when he was reading, he looked tlike the sweet genius that they all knew and not like a grieving man.

Emily was walking towards the conference room with Hotch behind her, talking on the phone.

"The facts look so serious that it's better to treat them like a proper case. And since you changed your mind we are agreeing on that. Finally.", she said sternly and she hang up.

Hotch knew that she was talking with Gloria. He had started finding Emily's way of speaking to her friend quite strange and unsettling. Till one week ago, everything was more than fine. Probably it was just the stress.

"Where's Rossi, anyway?", Morgan asked looking around.

"He's picking up Agent Paterson from the airport.", Hotch informed him.

"Ooh…", Morgan smiled with meaning.

"Let's focus on the briefing, please.", Strauss said strictly marching into the room, as well.

Hotch shook slightly his head. The case, this whole co-operation and many of the things that they didn't know about didn't look good at all...

In the meantime, Rossi and Gloria where driving to the FBI building. She had given him a quick summary of what they have to deal with. Gloria put the phone in the pocket of her jacket lying on her lap.

"So what made you change your mind and call it a case?", Dave said.

"Let's name it a politically correct move.", she answered raising her eyebrows.

It was the best. The big heads were considering it a case. Emily wanted to consider it like that and it was the best for her considering the whole situation. Gloria should influence her towards that direction, as well.

Dave looked at her and Gloria rubbed her forehead nervously under his gaze. Was she talking about politics? As far as he knew it was the very last thing that ever bothered her. She looked exhausted, too. Rossi had started worrying for that woman way too much.

"Everything alright, stella mia?", he asked concerned, his hand leaving the wheel and going to hers.

"Yeah… I'm just tired. I hate flights.", she replied casually, lying, trying unsuccessfully to hide that she flinched at his touch.

Gloria didn't even know why she flinched. Was she just hyper vigilant because of the stress? Was she shaken by what she was reading on the files in the plane? Was she feeling guilty for hiding what Clyde had told her? Or something else? Or all of them? The third one was sure. Hiding those other parts of the story was going to be difficult. She wasn't around people that she didn't trust. She was around people that offered her a second chance. And David's hand on hers was making it harder. She hated lying, mainly to him, but she had no choice. The last thing she wanted was to have her actions scrutinised, again. She reached in her other pocket for a cigarette, slipping her hand out of his instantly.

However, these little things were the ones that confused David. One day she was leaning into his touch and the other she was avoiding him. One day she was opening up, the other she was shutting down. He was getting hot and cold messages from her, thing that, even with his rather long experience with women, he couldn't explain clearly. On top of it, he didn't even know where he was standing himself. Putting the past in the equation and they had a mess. He let out a breath. Probably he was getting too old to deal with the other sex, after all.

"You know it's illegal to smoke in an FBI car.", he said half joking, half serious.

"Then don't tell anyone.", she replied, winking and lighting it.

David smiled. He was thinking that she was smoking when she picked her up. She was smoking again. She was stressed. But who wouldn't be with what was going on?

In the BAU, Hotch was informing the team and Strauss about what was going on locally.

"As some of you have probably heard there has been a rise in crime in Washington area that last couple of weeks. Four high rated gang members have been shot in the street far away from their regular areas of action, along with three protected by them low members and two prostitutes.", he explained displaying the case photos behind him on the screen.

"Different calibres and there is no information about the connection between the prostitutes and the gangs.", JJ commented stealing a glance at the sheets of paper in front of her.

"Yes. Also, a young couple of immigrants and high-dem couple of lawyers have also been murdered in their homes without apparent motive and no signs of burglary. All shot to the head, same calibre and silencer was used.", Hotch continued.

"What types of cases the lawyers were dealing with?", Blake asked.

"They were divorce lawyers mainly.", Hotch answered.

"Murders because of organised crime mainly occur in the street and not in the victims' home.", Reid gave the statistics.

"This looks like execution style to me, though.", Morgan mentioned.

"It is.", Emily started, "What alerted us was that according to a lawyers' friend, the couple was meeting regularly this man."

A picture of blonde man that looked like northern European appeared on the screen.

"There is a blue notice for him for about ten year time."

"Blue notice?", Morgan asked.

"It means that he is a person of interest for Interpol", Reid replied and Morgan wandered if there was a question that the young genius didn't have the answer to.

"Exactly.", Emily agreed.

"Who is this guy?", Blake asked.

"Not someone that a girl would like to marry.", Gloria's voice came from the door, as she got in and Rossi followed her, "Nice to see you, guys, Chief Strauss.", she greeted quickly and everybody, apart from Emily, smiled back.

Seeing her Hotch realised that, if she had appeared like that the first time he met her, he would have never gotten that bad idea, he had gotten for her mistakenly at the start. In a strict, black, pencil skirt, dark purple, silk shirt under a black suit jacket, black high heels, her red hair straitened and caught in long ponytail, she didn't look like a woman that had spent the most of her career playing the criminal with whatever this had involved. Who he was to speak, he thought. Only God knew what he was hiding under his suits and that tight tie.

"Yeah, I know, I look like a proper agent this time.", Gloria said as she passed him, guessing his thoughts.

Honestly, that was something that he hadn't missed.

"The man is Roger Peters. He had a connection with the Paradise Demons.", she carried on, putting her bag on the table to get her laptop out.

"Paradise Demons was a criminal organisation involved with gun and drug trafficking in the 90's. They were acting internationally but their base was in Northern Ireland. They were taken down by Scotland Yard in 2004.", Reid popped up.

"Who needs us since you have him?", Gloria teased him still busy with her bag, even if she was silently thanking him for giving the basic facts. She didn't want to go into details herself about that particular story. No, they had already enough. She shouldn't go down that road.

"In reality it was a co-operation between Scotland Yard and Interpol. Peters wasn't caught and he fell out of the grid till now.", Emily carried on ignoring her colleague.

"And which was his part in the organisation?", Strauss asked looking at Gloria.

The truth was that Strauss had received a rather interesting call about her a day ago. She wanted to discover more things about what exactly that woman knew and what she was doing in the international agency and not only out of professional curiosity.

"He was practically a nobody. Back then it looked like he was one of those people that do legal activities to cover the illegal ones of the organisation. He was exporting sweets, running his father's business. Even if he had been caught, I doubt that they would have been able to charge him.", Gloria answered.

"Disappearing doesn't look too innocent.", Blake mentioned.

"That's why the blue notice.", Emily said, "And after Paradise Demons were taken apart, another organisation started to get formed."

"Like in every business world, competitors found place to grow.", Rossi commented.

"And ex-Demons new 'employers'.", Gloria sat down, having her laptop finally connected.

"There are liable sources that say that Peters has connections with the new organisation.", Emily clarified. "And he is not a 'nobody' now."

"Wait a moment. This all is OK. But which is our place in all of this and what about the gang members here and the couple of immigrants?", Morgan got impatient.

"According to the current information, that Penelope, you are receiving now more detailed, the new organisation named by Interpol as NPD, New Paradise Demons, have increased the amount of 'goods' importing to the UK while they are not circulating them in the country.", Gloria gave a summary of the information she had learnt the last two days in Britain.

"And Peters here means that they probably try to make a bridge in the States.", JJ thought out loud.

"And the murders are probably connections that failed.", Hotch explained.

"And why the big alert?", Blake asked.

"The NPD deals mainly with weapons and the particular types are not just for normal use...", Gloria said. Oh yeah, they weren't at all...

"So if this all is real...", Rossi started.

"We are dealing with a criminal organisation trying to bring guns to terrorists that plan something big.", Emily finished.

"**Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.****" ~ ****John F. Kennedy**

_**New chapter not after too long! The team and Strauss, a short glimpse on Rossi and Gloria and the facts about the case. How they are going to deal with it coming on the next chapter!  
**_

_**Spoiler: Clyde was right about those 'details' but they have nothing to do with the case itself. They are just going to increase the tension between the two women while they are going to solve the case unconventionally...**_

_**Any guesses are welcomed! Leave a word and tell me your opinion! ;)**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

"**There was a distinction between lying and telling half-truths, but it was a very narrow one." ~ ****Alexander McCall Smith**

"Oh, my God! What are we going to do, my furry friends?", Garcia asked shocked by what has been told.

"Just a minute, though. 'If this all is real'.", Rossi repeated, "The events could be linked but there is no actual fact that links them."

There was a reason that Gloria didn't want to call this all a case and this was the reason, Rossi was thinking. They should face it. Yes, something serious was happening, probably. It needed a closer look but for sure it wasn't a solid case. After his long years in the FBI, he had learnt to call the things by their name and not to bother about politics.

"That guy probably may be in US soil but we don't even know if he was involved in the lawyers' murders. This whole thing isn't a solid.", he carried on.

Emily looked at Gloria. Emily knew that she had just agreed with her that those events and information should be treated like a case. For sure she hadn't changed her mind deep down. Had she taken Rossi on her side on the way to the BAU? Oh, yeah. That would have been easy for her... Emily shook her head. She didn't even know when she had started thinking so negatively about her friend. This whole pressure... She was aware that her moving didn't look good in Interpol. She was doing her best but that constant rise of Gloria's name around was something that had alarmed Emily.

"You don't want that guy in this country. The sooner we find him the better. He isn't here for vacations, I can promise you that.", Gloria explained looking at Dave, pleading him silently not to rise the subject.

"There is a huge difference between finding a guy and treating it like a possible terrorist attack.", Rossi said still pushing it.

Gloria shook her head and leant back to her chair throwing an "I told you" stare to Emily, which unnerved her.

"Is there a disagreement about something, here?", Strauss asked looking between the two women. "You are having FBI sources involved. There is a need to know if there is any incoherence in your facts."

"No, there isn't.", Emily replied sternly.

"This man's appearance is combined with a terrorist alert.", Hotch saved the situation, "As we assess the inside information, you two can put yours together.", he carried on giving the two women a leeway to have a private chat and Emily looked at him thankfully.

The truth was that he was agreeing with Rossi and it was better for the women to put their stories straight.

"Excuse us.", Emily said and stepped out of the room with Gloria following her.

The moment they were behind a closed door Emily started.

"What was that?"

"What was what?", Gloria asked back passively folding her arms.

"Did you talk Rossi into that this whole thing isn't a case?"

"Why would I do that, Emily? You want to call it a case. Why would I go against it?", she asked with an investigative look on her face. She had enough of Emily's continuous questioning. "Dave just made a logical thought. I told you everything is vague and you keep rushing it."

"Ria, I am under a lot of pressure here.", Emily let out a breath. She was over-thinking about everything.

"Anything new?", the other agent replied and Emily was shocked by her indifferent tone.

"Peters' presence here and a terrorist alert at the same time aren't a coincidence! How can you be so passive?"

"Yeah, they aren't. But this isn't the reason you are like that, Em." Gloria said ignoring her friend's question.

She wasn't passive about the case. She was far too tired physically and too tired with Emily trying to blame the pressure on the case. She had spent six hours on the plane going through the files and what Clyde had told her. She had already figured out the real reasons of Emily's stress and it was about time to clear some things up, but, of course, not all of them...

"What do you mean?", Emily asked playing the dumb card.

"OK. We are playing the 'what do I mean' game.", Gloria got upset finally, "You sent me there to gather information and give an opinion. So according to my experience in these types of organisations and investigations, the others from the other side have created too much out of nothing. So they have suspicions for something but they don't know and they're sending us to a witch hunting. Are we in the same page about this or not?"

Emily rubbed her eye nervously

"Tell me, Emily!"

"Yes! OK? You are right!", Emily admitted.

"Now we are talking."

"But the things are more complicated than this."

"Sure they are! They are putting you in charge of a witch hunt. And you have to bring the FBI in this mess, too, and persuade them that it isn't a witch hunt. I guess it couldn't get more complicated! I don't care about what the hell is going on around, and I'm playing it along for your sake. Just next time, tell me from the start.", Gloria finished.

Emily was feeling guilty for hiding the true facts and instead unleashing her stress on her. She would have understood eventually. However, Emily had her reasons to avoid it, even if those reasons were just suspicions. But she wasn't planning on sharing them. On the other hand, Gloria's consciousness was telling her that she was asking for full disclosure while she, herself, was hiding the rest of what she knew. The only thing sure was that they both didn't know what had happened to the mutual trust...

A light knock at the door interrupted them and Garcia opened it slightly.

"Easter Clyde is calling us."

"What? He had said that he was going to call in the evening.", Emily said rushing to the conference room.

"Good to see you all, again.", Clyde's British accent came from the screen followed by his image. "Agent Hotchner. We should meet some day under different circumstances.", he greeted Hotch separately smiling knowingly.

Clyde wanted to make one of his comments about Hotch and Emily's relationship but during a conference call in front of a whole team it wasn't possible. 'You bet we should meet under different circumstances...', Hotch was thinking.

"Section Chief Strauss is with us, too.", Hotch introduced Erin.

"My regards, Ma'am."

"What's for the rush, Clyde?", Emily said stepping into the room with Gloria behind her.

"Not even a hello, Emily? I'm hurt. And you finally got another British in that room.", Clyde commented, noticing the guy with the beard –He was the Italian one, wasn't he? Oh yeah, the guy with the books.– turning his head a little worried towards the younger Interpol agent who instinctively stood behind his chair. That was interesting. "Anyway, there is some new information about the activities of NPD. As probably my lovely colleagues have told you NPD follows the tracks of the Paradise Demons that were selling guns to terrorists. Ian Doyle was a customer, if you know what I mean."

"And a little bit of history...", Gloria murmured.

"I'll shorten the story, dear. No worries", Clyde carried on, "NPD has already revived some of those contacts. They are deeper into business than we had thought. The alerting fact is that they have trafficked MQ-300's, for sure. Destination US."

"So they have already established a bridge here.", JJ mentioned

"And you learnt that now?", Emily asked shocked. This all was getting worse minute by minute.

"This is 'inside' information. Unfortunately we weren't able to make contact earlier.", he said.

"Sorry but I am not exactly familiar with guns...", Reid popped.

"MQ-300 is designed to shoot through bullet proof vests.", Morgan enlightened him.

"Terrorists use them against law enforcement.", Clyde added.

"So there are people in this country with this type of weapons trying to sell them or having already sold them.", Strauss spoke.

"That's 100% positive.", Clyde confirmed.

"We are following every possible lead." Strauss made the decision to proceed. "BAU can handle the start and I am going to speak to Counterterrorism."

"Is there anything new on Peters?", Emily asked. There was an actual danger out there and they were probably going after the last person involved.

"You'll be the first to learn.", Clyde answered.

"We are starting by analyzing the NPD moves considering Peters an asset. It is not much but if we establish some of their patterns we can find their clients.", Hotch ordered.

"You have full access to Interpol's data and one expert on terrorists and one in organised crime. You couldn't have more help, Agent Hotchner.", Clyde said.

"We'll keep in touch.", Emily replied.

"Always a pleasure, darlin'. Oh, sorry I shouldn't have called you that.", Clyde smiled and ended the call.

"He has a rather big ego this guy.", Rossi commented.

"You tell me...", Gloria murmured, trying to hide her shock after the mention of the gun, and sat at her seat in front of her laptop, again. "I guess it is best to start with the NPD. I spent two educating days on them."

Emily was even more sceptical after that conversation. There was no need to persuade them to assist, anymore. It was still a witch hunt, nevertheless. The knowledge about NPD was limited and they didn't even know if Peters was an actual lead. But the facts were running faster than them and Emily had another fear since this whole thing had started. She knew very well that profiling terrorists and these types of criminals involves an additional part that profiling serial killers doesn't: Infiltration.

"**If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.****" ~ Lao Tzu**

_**I know when I'm creating a case, I always complicate myself… I hope I don't complicate you…! I promise the next chapters will be more action and interaction than analysis.**_

_**Spoiler: They are going to infiltrate when the things get even worse…**_

_**Let me know your opinions!**_


End file.
